Would you like to live harmoniously with Pets and Hardwood Flooring?
We are know that pets are awesome. But, do you know that over a third of homes in Alberta own cats, another full third own dogs. Small mammals, birds, and reptiles are also popular. As a culture, we love our pets, but unfortunately our animal companions can be hard on our Hardwood Flooring. In this blog, we’re going to try and help our customers strike the balance between their Hardwood Floors and their Pets.
Potty Training your Pet with Hardwood Flooring
If you have a family pet and want to keep your hardwood floors in good condition, the first thing you’ll need to do is teach them where they can do their *ahem* business. Water damage is one of the worst things that can happen to your floor, so pet-accidents need to be minimized in order to protect the wood.
Cat owners will have an easier time with this since their pets learn to use litter boxes quite easily. Rabbits and guinea pigs are trickier to litter box train and should probably be kept off of the hardwood entirely (since they also enjoy chewing wood). As for dogs, learning to do their doggy-duties outdoors is just part of growing up. In the meantime, don’t allow your animal on your hardwood. Keep your floors protected until you trust them not to have an accident.
Claws and Nails.
This problem is mostly for the owners of large or medium sized active dogs. While smaller dogs and cats will occasionally scratch floors, a pet smaller than a toy poodle is likely too light to do any real damage.
The best thing you can do is prevent marks before they happen. If you stay on top of your pet’s nail care, there will be less opportunity for damage. You should also be mindful of which activities are “inside games” and which are “outside games.” For example, don’t play chase or wrestle on the hardwood. Try to play fetch at the park rather than from the couch.
Take time to choose your hardwood. Natural wood floors with a lot of character hide dents and scratches better than floors that have been stained or are very uniform in colour. Opting for floors with added character, such as handscraped or wire brushed floors will also help to hide added marks or pet damage.
Hardwood is a beautiful and versatile flooring that brings warmth and class to your home. Pets are wonderful and funny critters that make us smile. It makes sense that we want the best of both, and with a little effort, it is possible to balance both pets and hardwood flooring. If you have any questions about flooring and which floors are best for pet owners, come into the TimberTown nearest you today!
